Edmund Ansin
Edmund N. Ansin (March 9, 1936 – July 26, 2020) was an American billionaire and co-founder of Sunbeam Television. Born in Worcester, Massachusetts to a Jewish family, he grew up in nearby Athol. His father, Sidney D. Ansin, started a shoe business, and the family moved to Florida in 1941. Ansin studied at Phillips Academy Andover, spent time at Harvard, and earned a BA in economics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1957.
In 1962, Ed Ansin and his father formed Sunbeam Television after Sidney bought Miami’s NBC affiliate WCKT for $3.4 million. Ed became executive vice president and later president after his father’s death in 1971. The station was renamed WSVN in 1983. In 1988, after losing NBC, Sunbeam shifted to Fox and CNN content, and Ansin helped develop a bold, news-focused style that emphasized live coverage and fast-paced reporting.
The new approach, led by Ansin and his news director Joel Cheatwood, produced the famous "Miami News style" with a slogan often summarized as “If it bleeds, it leads.” WSVN became a market leader and grew in prominence. In 1993, Ansin bought Boston’s WHDH Channel 7, and in 2006 Sunbeam acquired WLVI, Boston’s CW affiliate. Sunbeam Properties also developed the Miramar Park of Commerce in Broward County.
Ed Ansin died in Miami at age 84. He was survived by his children Andrew, James, and Stephanie, and his ex-wife Toby Lerner Ansin, founder of the Miami City Ballet. The Ansin family remained involved in Sunbeam’s operations, and Ansin was known for his philanthropy, including donations to Emerson College and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 20:32 (CET).